USPTO Patents Application 10582656

Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

In the Claims:

Please amend the claims as follows:

1 . (currently amended) A dispenser for dispensing a substance in individual portions,
the dispenser comprising:

• a body having a dispensing orifice;

• a container for the substance, the container being integral with or accommodated
on the body;

• a mechanism in the body and/or the container for dispensing individual portions
of the substance to the dispensing orifice, the mechanism having:

• a displaceable element for initiating a dispensing action;

• a multi-use counter having a display incremented or decremented with the count
of portions dispensed;

• a dispense action detector for detection of portion dispensing;

• an accommodation in the body for the multi-use counter with its detector
arranged for detection of dispensing of the mechanism; and

• a closure, adapted to co-operate with a portion of the body providing the
accommodation for removably enclosing the counter in the accommodation,
characterised in that the closure is adapted to be irremovably connected to the
body, and the closure is provided with a frangible portion through which the multi-
use counter can be removed so as to make for r olo as o of th o count e r, such that
the closure ts-tamper-evident.

2. (cancelled)

3. (cancelled)

4. (cancelled)

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

5. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the portion of the body with
which the closure co-operates has a frangible portion for release of the counter.

6. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure is a plug fitted
into the end of the receptacle to captivate the counter.

7. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure is a
cap over the end of the receptacle to captivate the counter.

8. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure has
a window for viewing the display of the counter.

9. (currently amended) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure
provides:

• an abutment for the counter to maintain the-said arrangement of the detector only
whilst the counter is enclosed by the closure.

10. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dispenser
is for dispensing a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance and

• the dispensing orifice is a mouthpiece with an inhalation/insufflation orifice at its
end;

• the container is a source of the substance accommodated on the body;

• the body has a junction for receiving the substance from the source;

• the source and the junction are arranged to be movable towards each other for
release of a substance dose from the source to the junction;

• the dispensing mechanism is a valve provided in the source and/or downstream
thereof, for releasing the substance to the mouthpiece a dose at a time;

• the displaceable member is a spout on source, displaceable inwards of the

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

source for release of the dose therethrough to the junction.

1 1 . (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

• the accommodation for the counter is a receptacle at the end of the source
remote from the spout;

• the body has a cylindrical sidewall extending to the region of the end of the
source; and

• the end of the sidewall is adapted to co-operate with the closure.

1 2. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein:

• the dispenser is breath-actuated;

• the counter provides an abutment for the source; and

• the junction is movable in the body towards the source.

1 3. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein:

• the dispenser is adapted to be actuated by manual pressure on and movement of
the source towards the junction; and

• the junction is movable in the body towards the counter and the closure.

14. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein:

• the dispenser is adapted to be actuated by manual pressure on and movement of
the junction towards the source; and

• the junction member is movable in the body towards the source.

1 5. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dispenser
is for dispensing a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance and

• the dispensing orifice is a mouthpiece with an inhalation/insufflation orifice at its
end;

• the container is a source of the substance accommodated on the body;

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

• the body has a junction for receiving the substance from the source;

• the source and the junction are arranged to be movable towards each other for
release of a substance dose from the source to the junction;

• the dispensing mechanism is a valve provided in the source and/or downstream
thereof, for releasing the substance to the mouthpiece a dose at a time;

• the displaceable member is a spout on source, displaceable inwards of the
source for release of the dose therethrough to the junction.

16. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 15, wherein :

• the accommodation for the counter is a receptacle at the end of the source
remote from the spout;

• the body has a cylindrical sidewall extending to the region of the end of the
source; and

• the end of the sidewall is adapted to co-operate with the closure.

17. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

• the dispenser is adapted to be actuated by manual pressure on the counter and
movement of the source towards the junction,

• the closure is arranged to provide:

• both an abutment for the counter between actuations and

• manual access to the counter for depression of both it and the source towards
the junction;

• the junction is fixed in the body.

18. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

• the dispenser is adapted to be actuated by manual pressure on the counter and
movement of the junction towards the source,

• with the closure being arranged to provide:

• both an abutment for the counter between actuations and

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

• manual access to the counter for depression of both it and the junction member
towards the junction;

• the junction member is movable in the body towards the source.

1 9. (previously presented) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the source is a
metered dose source.

20. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein an additional valve is
provided down stream of the source.

21 . (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the counter is a force
actuated counter, acting as an abutment for the source.

22. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the counter is a
displacement transducer arranged to detect a small movement of the source between
its position in which the junction is moved towards it for dose release and its quiescent
position or vice versa.

23. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the counter is an acoustic
transducer for detecting dose release by a distinctive sound of the release.

24. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the counter has a probe in
contact with the source.

25. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the probe is arranged to
detect removal of the source from the dispenser and to reset the counter for new use in
another dispenser.

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

26. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is for
dispensing doses in pill form and

• the dispensing orifice is an opening in the body;

• the container is a compartment slidably carried in the body;

• the dispensing mechanism is

• a neck of the compartment for aligning pills to be dispensed one at a time with
movement of the neck outwards of the body and includes

• a spring for biasing the neck inwards of the body; and

• the accommodation is a receptacle in the body for the counter, the receptacle
being closed by the closure.

27. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 26, wherein the container has a
feature arranged to approach the counter for incrementing/decrementing the counter on
dispensing movement of the container.

28. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 27, wherein the feature is the spring.

29. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 27, wherein the spring abuts the
counter for return movement of the container after a dispensing action.

30. (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 26, including an interlock preventing
extension of the neck without removal of an interlock stop.

31 . (withdrawn) The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , the dispensing mechanism is
disabled in the absence of a counter enclosed by the closure.

32. (withdrawn) A method of making a dispenser for dispensing a gaseous, gas borne
or droplet substance in individual portions counted by a multi-use counter having a
display incremented or decremented with the count of portions dispensed and a

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

dispense action detector for detection of portion dispensing, the dispenser being as
claimed in claim 1 1 and having:

• a main part of the body and

• an adjustable part of the body which encircles the source, is adapted to receive
the closure and is adjustable longitudinally of the source to compensate for
source-length tolerance, the method including the steps of :

• assembling the source to the main part of the body within the adjustable part;

• adjusting the adjustable part to compensate for the said tolerance; and

• fixing the adjustable part to the main part in its adjusted position.

33. (withdrawn) The method as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the adjustment step is
performed by:

• fitting a dummy closure to the adjustable part, whereby the dummy closure
replicates the abutment to be provided in the dispenser for the source by the
counter fitted against the abutment provided by the counter; setting the
mechanism to its position in which the spout is urged inwards for dose
dispensing;

• moving the dummy closure, adjustable body part and source inwards until a dose
is released; and

• fixing the adjustable part in this position.

34. (withdrawn) A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, comprising a multi-use counter
comprising:

• a display for indicating number of doses consumed or still available to be
consumed,

• a dispense action detector and a reset probe activated to reset the counter on its
removal from the dispenser either manually or by the action of fitting it to its
accommodation on a dispenser.

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

35. (new) A dispenser for dispensing a substance in individual portions, the dispenser
comprising:

• a body having a dispensing orifice;

• a container for the substance, the container being integral with or accommodated
on the body;

• a mechanism in the body and/or the container for dispensing individual portions
of the substance to the dispensing orifice, the mechanism having:

• a displaceable element for initiating a dispensing action;

• a multi-use counter having a display incremented or decremented with the count
of portions dispensed;

• a dispense action detector for detection of portion dispensing;

• an accommodation in the body for the multi-use counter with its detector
arranged for detection of dispensing of the mechanism; and

• a rigid closure, adapted to co-operate with a portion of the body providing the
accommodation for removably enclosing the counter in the accommodation,
characterised in that the rigid closure is provided with a frangible portion for
release of the counter, such that the closure is tamper-evident.

36. (new) The dispenser as claimed in claim 35, wherein the closure is a cap over the
end of the receptacle to captivate the counter.

37. (new) The dispenser as claimed in claim 35, wherein the closure has a window for
viewing the display of the counter.

38. (new) The dispenser as claimed in claim 35, wherein the closure provides:

• an abutment for the counter to maintain said arrangement of the detector only
whilst the counter is enclosed by the closure.

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Application Serial No.: 10/582,656
Attorney Docket No. 508-051.008

39. (new) The dispenser as claimed in claim 38, wherein the dispenser is for dispensing
a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance and

• the dispensing orifice is a mouthpiece with an inhalation/insufflation orifice at its
end;

• the container is a source of the substance accommodated on the body;

• the body has a junction for receiving the substance from the source;

• the source and the junction are arranged to be movable towards each other for
release of a substance dose from the source to the junction;

• the dispensing mechanism is a valve provided in the source and/or downstream
thereof, for releasing the substance to the mouthpiece a dose at a time;

• the displaceable member is a spout on source, displaceable inwards of the
source for release of the dose therethrough to the junction.

40. (new) The dispenser as claimed in claim 39, wherein:

• the accommodation for the counter is a receptacle at the end of the source
remote from the spout;

• the body has a cylindrical sidewall extending to the region of the end of the
source; and

the end of the sidewall is adapted to co-operate with the closure.

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